Teaching assistants on strike at McMaster University

Thousands of McMaster University teaching and research assistants are walking off the job today after their union and university were unable to reach an agreement.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 2,900 teaching and research assistants, were unable to reach a deal with the university in their final mediated bargaining session on Friday.

Picket lines began assembling this morning at two entrances to campus, the Sterling entrance as well as the Cootes Drive entrance.

The union says wages and job security are sticking points.

Currently, graduate teaching assistants (TA’s) make substantially more than undergraduate TA’s and part of the union’s requests are to bridge that pay gap.

Graduate TA’s currently make $44 an hour and the union is asking for a nine per cent raise for their first year then a three per cent increase in the next two years.

Undergraduate TA’s make $25 an hour and work part-time hours on top of taking classes. The union is asking for a 20 per cent increase for undergraduate TA’s in the first year, with 6 per cent after that.

They say this will bring teaching assistants closer to the cost of living, especially considering recent inflation.

McMaster acknowledged that they were expecting the picket lines and encouraged staff and students to respect them.

“The university’s priority is the safety of all community members, including those on the picket lines, and to encourage a culture of respect and understanding.”

The union says they’re willing to return to the bargaining table if the university will offer something on at least one of their three main issues: higher wage increases, better job security, or protection against tuition increases.

Most McMaster University classes will run as scheduled unless students hear otherwise from their instructors.